Pygmy sperm whale calf euthanized after mother dies on Jupiter Beach

A pygmy sperm whale calf had to be euthanized after its mother died on Jupiter Island.

JUPITER ISLAND, Fla. -

A pygmy sperm whale calf had to be euthanized after its mother died on a South Florida beach.

The whales stranded Tuesday morning on Jupiter Island.

Charles Manire, of the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, said the mother seemed disoriented in the water and emaciated before it came ashore and died.

The calf came ashore nearby.

Authorities said the baby whale had to be euthanized because it would not survive without its mother.

"Any number of things could have happened with the mother to cause her to come ashore," Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission biologist John Cassady told WPBF 25 News. "She was very emaciated so whatever it is, it was something she's been dealing with for a while, it looks like."

Another pygmy sperm whale calf had to be euthanized after its mother stranded and died near Jupiter last month. Tests on those whales' remains to determine the cause of death are still pending.

"Once the two necropsies are completed and we get some results from that, it might help us to know what's going on," Cassady said.

Copyright 2013 by WPBF.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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